Road slab side edge reenforcer



51m@ 35(1), 3935 R R ROBERTSON 2,046,183

ROAD SLAB SIDE EDGE REENFDRDER Filed Dec. 5, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 Y. vn l f A w i Y Q .U v NN C xm Flm VIH |||1|| ,HJMII 2| In: lull- {Lwllrl y H93@ RR. ROBERTSON ROAD SLAB SIDE EDGE REENFORCER me E@ 2 Sheets-Shed '2 Filed Dec. 5, 1934 Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Robert R. Robertson, Chicago, Ill., assigner to The Translode `Joint Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,696

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a concrete road construction wherein the upper or crown section of the road is supported on a road subgrade and wherein the crown section of the Vroad is divided into slabs or sections by means of spaced transversely disposed expansion joints and contraction joints and by means of a longitudinally positioned center joint. One of the important features of the road construction is to provide the road slabs with reenforcing means which are imbedded in the lower outer edge portions of the slabs and, if desired or found necessary, similar reenforcing means may also be imbedded in the upper outer edges of the concrete slabs. The outer edge reenforcing means are provided for the purpose of protecting the outer sides of the concrete slabs adjacent the road shoulders to prevent chipping off or breaking away of the edges of the concrete slabs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a concrete road construction wherein the top section or crown of the road above the road subgrade, has imbedded therein expansion and contraction joints as well as a load transmission center joint for dividing the road into a plurality of adjacently positioned concrete slabs divided by the various joints, and to provide the outer lower and upper edges of the side walls of the slabs with reenforcing means to protect said edges and prevent breaking oil' of the same.

It is also an object of this invention to provide the outer side kof concrete road slabs with reenforcing means to prevent breaking off of the slabs in cases where the sides of the road are not suiiieiently backed up or protected by the road shoulders.

It is a furtherobject of this invention to provide outer edge reenforcing means for concrete slabs, said reenforcing means consisting of protecting bars having anchoring members for holding the bars in position to protect the edges of the slabs.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a concrete road construction in which the road slabs have all of the upper and lower edges thereof protected by means of road joint members on three `of the sides of the slabs while the outer or fourth sides of the slabs have the edges thereof protected by reenforcing members provided with anchoring means for holding the members secured in place.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a concrete road construction wherein the various edges of the road slabs are protected against breakage by both road joint members and reenforcing members imbedded between and in the various road slabs.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described:

On the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan View of a concrete road having a load transmission center joint imbedded longitudinally in the road and intercepted at spaced intervals by road expansion joints and contraction joints dividing the road into concrete slabs having the outer edges thereof protected by reenforcing means imbedded in the slabs adjacent the shoulders of the road.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section of the road taken on line II-II of Figure l showing the side forms of the road in position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical inner side view of a road slab side edge reenforcer, embodying the principles of this invention, and shown in position against the inner surface of a road side form.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section through one side of a concrete road showing the outer side wall of a concrete slab having reenforcing means imbedded in the concrete to protect both the lower and upper side edges of the slab.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical inner side view of the `slab side edge reenforcing means of the type illustrated in Figure 4, showing the same positioned adjacent the inner side of a road side form.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a. modified form of slab side edge reenforcer provided with a top ange and having the anchoring means struck inwardly from substantially the middle portion of the upright iiange of the reenforcer.

Figure 7 is a transverse detail section taken on line VII-V11 of Figure 6.

As shown on the drawings:

In the form of the device illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the reference numeral I indicates a road subgrade upon which the upper or crown portion of a road is supported and formed between side road forms 2. The upper or crown portion of the concrete road is formed by dividing the same into a plurality of concrete sections or slabs 3. The slabs 3 are formed by means of transversely disposed expansion joints 4 and contraction joints 5 which are located at spaced ln- The load transmission center joint used in tlrieu road construction comprises `a T bar consisting of a base member or bottom plate 6 provided with roundedV corners at l where it integrally connects up with an upwardly projecting ilange or web'B.

The flange 8 is provided with vertical cuts or slots at spaced intervals which extend downwardly from the top edge of the web tothe base plate l Y 6 to divide the web into a plurality ofweb sections each of which has struck outwardlyvfrom the fup'per margin thereof one or more anchoring plates or lugs 9 leaving one side of each of the web sections flat. The top surfaces of the base portion tof the load transmission base unit are yinclined downwardly to-ward the side margins of the base unit and as hereinbefore stated are provided with the curvedY corners I so that after the I'concrete has been pouredto form theroad slabs 3, said slabs may readily move away from and vtoward the base unit with the contraction and expansion of the road slabs. If desired the inclined l'top surfaces of the base section may be provided Withra Vcoating of grease or the like to eliminate any possibility of the yconcrete road slabs from sticking to the base unit. The-anchoring blades Vo-r'flugs 9 of adjacent web sections project in opposite directions so that the anchoring blades of VV the base units are staggered with respect to one another. Y Y j Y Y rRigidl'y secured rby brazing or other suitable means to each of the web sections 8 is the lower c end of afsuppo-rting bar or post I Il. The supporting bars- I vare secured on the sides of the web plateS from which' the anchoring blades 9 project.V Supported upon the upper ends of the bars or' posts Ill is an upper joint sealer or center line T bar consisting of a top plate I2 and a depending flange or web I3. The top plate I2 is provided with inclined and rounded bottom surfaces I4, affording rounded corners Where the plates I2 integrally connect up with the web I3. If desired the curved surfaces and rounded corners I4 of the upper joint sealer may be covered with a coat of Vgrease or the like -to obviate any sticking of the vconcrete slabs to the upper joint sealer when movement of the slabs takes place due to temperature changes; TheV top plate I2 serves Y as a center joint marking strip and a sealer for the top nof Vthe center vjoint crack. The depending flange for Vweb I3 of the T bar unit has the marginal portion thereof cut and portions of saidmargin are deilected outwardly on one side only of the web vto provide anchoring blades or wings I5. The anchoring blades I5 serve to hold the top sealer bar anchored in position against removal. The web or flange' of the base load transmission unit and the depending web I3 of the top sealer unit vare positioned in substantially thesame vertical plane and cause the concrete to crack in substantially the'longitudinal center of the c oncrete'road. Attention is Vcalled to the' fact that in the road y construction described,'the road slabs 3 have the bottom and upper edges of the inner and two side walls renforced or protected by members of the various/l road "joint forming mechanisms which i tom flange I6 and an upright flange I1 positioned `the base flange I6 and the upright ilange I 'I serving as a protection for the. lower corner of 20 the slabs after the road form '2 is removed. Pins or stakes I9 are driven'into the subgrade I to -contactwith the inner edges of thee-base flange I6,A before `the pouring of concrete, to hold the reenforcing' -unit form2. v` Y' Y. a Y FiguresV 4 and 5 Yillustrate a modified form of a road slab reenforcing unit for the protection of both the bottom andupper edges of the outer wall of a concrete road slab 3. In this form ofV the slab reenforcerunit Vthe bottom reenforcer is constructed substantially thesame as that illustrated and described in connection with Figure 2 and is numbered accordingly. Brazedor otherwise rigidly secured to -the inner face of the upright flange I'I of the base reenforcer are a plurality of posts or bars v2|). Brazed or other- Y wise rigidly secured to the'upper Vend of the supporting bars 20 is an upper edge reenforcing unit constructed identical tothe lower edge re` enforcing unit except that it is inverted as clearly illustrated in Figure `4. Asrclearly illustrated in Figure 5 the anchoringblades I8 of the upper reenforcing unit are`fstaggered with V respect to the anchoring blades I8 of the lower reenforc-45 in position against the side 25 y ing unit. 4With the edge reenforcing units mounted in position against the inner side fof Vthe sideY road form 2 concrete ispoured to form the road slab 3. After the Vconcretehas been sufllciently cured the side formV 2 is removed and thematerialfor forming the shoulder of the road is put in place.. A'It will be noted that the Vreenforcing units protect the bottom and top edges of the outer wall of the road slab 3 and will obviate breaking away of the edges" or'undue cracking if the shoulderof the road `is not sufficiently strong to protect theouter side walls of the concrete road.

Figures 6 and '7A illustri-ite` another modified form of a concrete road` slab edge reenforcer adapted to be imbedded -in any of the edges of the concrete slab and preferably in eithergthe bottom outer edge or.' in both the bottom outer f edge and the topvouter edges similar to the ar in, Figures 2 and 4 ofthe 65 AThe upper margin of the upright flange 22 is deflected inwardly to vform. a topilange or'bead 23 which serves tc strengthen or reenforc'e theupper margin of the uprightflangeZZ, Struck inwardly, from the upright flange 22', between the upper75 and lower margins thereof are a plurality of pended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A concrete road construction comprising a concrete body, a load transmission center joint forming unit imbedded therein including a load transmission base, a. top sealer, staggered uprights for 5 connecting the load transmission base and said top sealer, reenforcing means imbedded in the upper and lower outer edges of the concrete road to reenforce and protect the outer edges against breakage, and uprlghts for supporting the upperulo reenforcing means on the lower reenforcing means.

ROBERT R. ROBERTSON. 

